FLINT, MI -- The Genesee County Election Commission has rejected recall language aimed at removing three City Council members, but a backer of the efforts says he’ll try again.

County Clerk-Register John Gleason said the three-member commission on Thursday, May 16, turned down proposed recall language against Santino Guerra, 3rd Ward; Kate FIelds, 4th Ward and Monica Galloway, 7th Ward. A petition seeking to recall 8th Ward Councilman Allan Griggs has also been filed and is still pending with the county.

First Ward Councilman Eric Mays, who supported the recalls, said he’ll continue to help residents who filed the petitions and vowed they would return with new language.

“I support Mayor (Karen) Weaver, and I ain’t got time for these council people ...,” Mays said after Election Commission meeting. “We’re not going to deal with (them) for the next two years.”

Petitions claimed Galloway should be recalled because she was absent for a vote to enter into a $5.6-million contract with W.T. Stevens Construction Inc. for service line replacements.

Petitions for the recall of Guerra and Fields stated the two should be recalled for voting to extend a Republic Services’ waste removal contract to June 20, 2021, at a cost of $12 million.

Fields, who has said she voted to extend the Republic contract because the city’s former finance director promoted it as Flint’s best option, called the attempt to recall her frivolous -- “a waste of everyone’s time and money.”

The Election Commission is comprised of county Clerk-Register John Gleason, chief county Probate Judge Jennie Barkey and county Treasurer Deb Cherry.

Gleason said the panel voted unanimously not to approve any of the recalls and said he did not feel the language was clear.

Flint’s City Charter states that “any elected official may be recalled from office by the electors of his or her electoral district,” and state law requires that the county Election Commission determine whether the stated reason for the recall is “factual” and “clear.”

If language for a recall petition is approved, the petitioner must collect 25 percent of the number of votes cast in the election of the public official sought to be recalled.

The petitioner has 60 days to collect the signatures beginning on the date the first signature is collected.

Once the signatures are collected, the county clerk has 35 days to determine their validity.